Forgetting to Remember
by elemenoh.p
Summary: Yunho tells Jaejoong a story, whose meaning he still is yet to discover. What would you do if the one you love forgets to remember? *This is a one-shot.*


Everything was white; the floors, the walls, the lights, the clothes. The smell of antiseptic filled the air and only whispers echoed off the pristine walls.

Dressed in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, a man in his late-twenties slowly walked through the corridors of Seoul National University Hospital. His black hair was roughly styled, loosely framing his face.

The man glanced around the corridor, a feeling of unease washing over him. No matter how many times he visited, he would never be able to shake away this feeling. Doctors and nurses chatted to patients, assisted them or talked in hushed tones to their families. After walking past a few more rooms, the man had finally reached his destination; room 318.

He stood at the door of the room and let out an anxious breath. Before entering, he ran his hand through his hair and admired the bouquet of lilies; hero's favourite. The man's hand hesitantly hovered above the door handle and he closed his eyes and hoped that today would be different.

Inside room 318, sitting upright in his bed, a man with several earrings on both ears, and a birthmark on his neck, sat reading a novel. His hair was dyed an ash brown colour and his skin was pale and flawless. His broad shoulders contrasted against his slim waist and the tattoos on his back rippled against his lean muscle. At the sound of the door opening, his head quickly turned to face the dazzling smile of his dongsaeng.

"Of course you are already reading." Yunho smiled at the sight of Jaejoong and the troubled feeling from before had vanished. Seeing the glowing face of Joong brightened Yunho's mood and gave him a glimmer of hope that today would be better.

"I can't help it, anything to escape this dreary life." A playful smile escaped Joong's lips. This was the best part of each day, when Yunho came to visit.

Yunho handed Joong the bouquet, his beauty incomparable to any flower. After smelling them and taking his time admiring each petal of each flower, Joong placed them in the already full vase next to his bed. Yunho sat in the chair beside the bed and made himself comfortable; as comfortable as he could on a chair with minimal cushioning. He watched Joong arrange the flowers and studied every detail of him; from his defined jawline, to the way his elegant fingers adjusted the buttons on his shirt.

Joong caught Yunho's gaze and returned it with a wide smile. The afternoon sun that shone through the window made Yunho's eyes appear a lighter brown and softened his features even more.

Yunho studied Jaejoong's face, searching for any sign of change. His appearance gave away nothing- as usual- and so he asked the same questions he did every other day.

"How is your recovery going? Any luck with the rehabilitation?" However, Yunho already knew the answers and as he heard the same response he did every other day, his heart sank but his face gave away nothing. All he could do was nod and comfort Jaejoong, when what he really wanted to do was hold the other and never let go.

"How are things going for you? Have you met anyone yet? Surely someone as handsome as Yunho should be getting married soon." Jaejoong teased his companion whose cheeks were glazed with a subtle pink.

"I've been good, busy with work. I don't think the whole relationship and marriage thing is for me, I still have years to go." The truth was, Yunho didn't want to get married, didn't want to love someone else.

Joong's sweet laughter filled the room and Yunho couldn't help but join in. They continued to talk about everything from Yunho's dancing and writing classes to Joong's horrible experiences with hospital food.

When a moment of silence had filled the air, Jaejoong leaned closer to Yunho, enthusiastically grabbing his arm. The warmth and softness of his hand sent sparks of heat through Yunho's body.

"Tell me a story Yunho. You are the best at telling stories." His eyes flashed with eagerness and excitement, mirroring those of a young child's.

Yunho knew exactly which story he would tell Joong, the one he had told him numerous times.

"Okay Joong, how about a tragic love story, about a man and his first love?" Yunho knew Joong could never resist hearing this story. And just as he expected, the other boy nodded his head with a wide grin.

'Once there was a man called Juho, he loved to dance and sing and enjoyed writing stories. He studied arts at a university and would often write short stories that would get published in magazines.'

Joong quizzically raised an eyebrow. "This Juho character sounds very familiar, Yunho."

"Just a coincidence I guess." Yunho fixed the cross bracelet on his wrist and continued with the story.

'As I was saying, one day, Juho was working on a story in the university library. The sound of the clock ticking echoed quietly throughout the library, but the silence was abruptly broken with a series of shh's . The unexpected sound caught Juho's attention and he saw that a few tables away, a new student was fumbling with an armful of books. The boy had knocked over a few chairs with his enormous backpack and was apologising. At first, Juho was annoyed at the boy; he had interrupted his train of thought and now he had lost the desire to write. But after watching the boy awkwardly searching for an empty seat and huddling his books, Juho couldn't help but smile to himself. The boy's gaze spotted the empty table Juho was sitting at, and he began to make his way towards the table. On arrival, the boy fiddled with the bracelets on his wrist and nervously asked Juho if the seat was taken. Juho admired the piercings on both of the boy's ears, reflecting light into all different directions and soon found himself smiling at the boy. He quickly cleared his throat, managing only to mumble out an "oh…yeah".'

'The boy sat down across from Juho and set down his books; there were all kinds of books about literature, history, mathematics, arts and cooking. Juho found the combination very strange and couldn't help but watch the boy study. The boy's brown hair fell over his eyes as he buried his head into book after book and scribbled down notes here and there.'

'After a solid two hours of nothing but studying, the boy finally looked up from his work and saw Juho staring at his notebook with an annoyed look. The boy subtly leaned forward to inspect what the other was doing. The library desks were wider than usual desks and as the boy leaned forward, the wooden chair he sat on made a long and sharp creaking sound. The blood rushed to the boy's face, painting it a lovely shade of red, as other people shot deadly glares at him. The boy sitting across from him looked up but surprisingly, a lopsided smile was present instead of an angry sneer. The boy anxiously smiled back and decided to introduce himself. His name was Yoon and he was currently enrolled in a humanities course. Yoon's innocent smile was like the sun lighting up a dull day, his flawless skin mimicked porcelain and his eyes had a twinkle to them. Juho introduced himself as well, telling Yoon he was an arts student. He himself lacked such soft features; his hair was neglected, his eyes were always tired and overall he appeared to be someone always emotionless and bored. '

'After the brief introductions, a short silence followed before Yoon asked Juho what he was writing. Juho usually didn't like telling others what his stories were about, but there was something about Yoon that compelled Juho to tell him. The other boy seemed to radiate a feeling of ease and comfort. As Juho read Yoon his story about a blind artist, Yoon was captivated by each and every word in which he leaned closer towards Juho, scared he'd miss something. Yoon was devastated when Juho told him the story was incomplete and would take a long time to finish. Juho didn't know what it was about this boy that made him feel like he didn't have a care in the world, didn't have a single worry. He realised the boy didn't judge him, but only encouraged and reassured him. He looked at his watch and hadn't realised that he had been talking to Yoon for an hour. Juho quickly packed up his books and apologised to Yoon saying he had a class to attend. Yoon got up and helped Juho pack up his things, his gentle hands packing everything away in swift movements. Before Juho left, he turned around and waved at Yoon who beamed back at him and waved. Even though he had just met Yoon, Juho felt a sense of affection for the boy.'

Yunho stopped to take a sip of water, Jaejoong was already listening intently to the story, his eyes begging for more.

'Yoon was proud of himself for making a friend, maybe it was too soon to call Juho a friend though. Juho didn't talk a lot and was much more serious than Yoon, he felt drawn to him though; like how opposites attract.'

'During lunch the next day, Juho wondered aimlessly around the courtyard looking for a secluded place to eat his food. All the benches had been taken but a spot under an oak tree, bathed in sunlight, caught his attention. He slowly made his way towards the tree but as he grew closer he noticed a petite figure sitting behind the tree. Juho smiled to himself, the one person he wanted to see was already waiting for him.'

'"Hey Yoon, fancy seeing you here. How were your classes?" Juho casually asked the boy and set his bag down.'

'They were great, there's so much to learn and do. It's fantastic!" Yoon's reply was coated with excitement matched with a giant grin on his face. He continued to eat his sandwich as Juho pulled out a red container filled with salad. The two boys began to talk about themselves and soon Juho learnt that Yoon was adopted and had several sisters. He had always wanted to become a singer but he didn't have the skills nor the funds to do so. Juho listened to every detail of Yoon's life and felt saddened; how could such an innocent person have such a hard life. Juho also told Yoon about his life, growing up with just one sister whom he cared for dearly and wanting to pursue a career in dance. At first, his parents had been against his dancing but had eventually allowed him to study arts in university. To any outsider, the pair would've seemed to be friends for years, not just two days. The time for their next classes was edging closer and it was Yoon who spoke up.'

'"I was wondering, if um, you wanted to go to dinner with me tonight. I mean just us but if you don't, I completely understand I just –"'

'"I'll pick you up at 7." Juho gave his famous lopsided grin and made his way to his next class. Yoon exhaled, his heart was beating a thousand miles an hour but he was glad Juho had agreed. Little did they know that years from now, they would go to the same place for dinner but it would change their lives forever.'

'Yoon lived in a small art studio apartment located a few minutes from the university. He lived on the second floor and there was no elevator. The apartment was easy to find for Juho, who had just rang the doorbell for room 206. The metal gates of the building led to a frosted glass door, and beyond the door, to the right, were the stairs. Juho admired the architectural features of the building; the long, brass paned windows, the high ceilings and the elevated apartments.'

'As Juho's eyes wandered around, the distorted figure of a man coming down the stairs caught his attention. Yoon unlocked the glass door and greeted Juho; he was dressed in a black coat with jeans and a beanie to match. The pair made their way to Juho's car, trying to escape the cold. There was little traffic on the roads and the sun had long set. Juho proclaimed that this restaurant was the best place to eat Korean BBQ and many other Korean dishes. Throughout the night, the pair grew closer and it was the first time in a while that both of the boy's felt at ease; felt they could be themselves. Juho noticed how the sides of Yoon's eye crinkled when he smiled and the way he pushed the hair from his face; everything about him was so kind and tender. Juho wasn't the only one who had picked up on the small details, Yoon liked how Juho's eyebrows crinkled together when he waited for his meat to cook or how he would roll up his left sleeve higher than his right. When the night came to an end, Juho took Yoon home and watched him enter the building and waited until the light to room 206 came on before he left.'

'As the seasons changed, the bond between the two boys only strengthened. Every day they would study together in the library and eat lunch under the oak tree. The pair were inseparable and it soon became clear that nothing could change that. On a hot summer's day, Juho and Yoon had escaped the heat of the day and relaxed at their usual desk in the library. The desk sat alone at the back of the library behind a shelf of Literature books and next to a grand window. Juho was leaning against the window, softly reading the new story he had completed to Yoon. As usual, Yoon listened closely to Juho and seemed to be hooked to every word. When Juho finished reading, he looked up from his book to see Yoon smiling.'

'"Your stories are getting better and better." Yoon was easily impressed by Juho but he never told anything but the truth. Juho shrugged off the compliment and replied, "You say that about all my stories." '

'Juho began to pack his books for the next class; it was the one time every week he had to leave Yoon alone in the library. Before leaving, Juho gave Yoon a brief side-hug before disappearing behind the literature books. Yoon returned to reading his history of art book when from behind he heard a voice. A voice he thought he would never hear again. Yoon didn't dare turn around or make a sound; fearing the face he would see, but it was already too late. From across the library he heard a deep voice taunting him "Yoon, could it really be Yoon?"'

'"The older boy and his two sidekicks strode towards Yoon, making it seem like the library was shaking. Before Yoon could get away, a huge hand grabbed him by the shoulder and sat him back down. The trio stood in a circular formation, allowing no escape for the smaller boy. The main boy towered over Yoon and had a devilish smile etched on his face. His name was Changsu and he had bullied Yoon ever since they were little boys. He made Yoon's life a living-hell, physically abusing him but mostly mentally. He would insult Yoon about his parents and about his sisters, saying things that he dared not repeat. If evil were to take a human form, it would be Changsu.'

'The massive boy held onto Yoon's collar as he questioned him; asking him why he was here. He flexed his free hand and admired his enormous fist. Yoon thought he had escaped Changsu's torture but now he was back after several years. He knew the routine and braced himself for the pain, pain that never came thanks to the librarian. The old lady walked past, eyeing the gang suspiciously through her horn-rimmed spectacles. Changsu and his henchmen quickly changed their demeanours, turning from devils to saints. They lied to the librarian, saying they were simply helping Yoon with some work, motioning to the boy who simply nodded and forced a smile. The librarian gave the boys a disapproving look but eventually walked away, turning around once more to check on them.'

'Changsu's smile faded and in its place was a deadly snarl, "You were lucky this time, but watch your back." He shoved Yoon into the table and made his way out of the library, making all the other students cower in their chairs. Yoon sat stiffly in his chair, staring at a piece of dirt on his shoe. He thought he had fled this nightmare, but it had just come back to haunt him more than ever.'

'At lunch, Yoon hunched over his sandwich, taking a small bite every now and then. His eyes darted around the courtyard and he cowered in the shadow of the oak tree. When he felt a hand on his shoulder he flinched before realising it was Juho. Instantly, Juho knew something was wrong, the usual chip and cheery Yoon was nowhere to be found, instead a strange and timid boy sat in his place. Juho didn't know what to do, or what to say but he didn't want to either. The vibe Yoon was giving off was one that could only be dealt with in silence.'

'After Yoon continued like this for a few more days, Juho finally mustered up the courage to ask him what was wrong. It was a warm day and Juho was walking Yoon home, the whole journey had been in silence and the pair kept their distance. Before they reached the gates of Yoon's apartment, Juho finally grabbed the boy by his wrist to stop him.'

'"This is killing me. Yoon, please, tell me what's wrong. Tell me so I can help you, I can't keep seeing you like this." Juho couldn't believe it was him talking, his voice bordered panic but was filled with concern and compassion.'

'Yoon struggled to give a smile but even when he did, it was a smile that hid the sadness and fear. He simply shook his head and let out a soft laugh. He bid Juho farewell and made his way up the stairs. Juho felt helpless and he hated it, it pained him to see the one he cared for in pain.'

'As time passed, Juho kept a close eye on Yoon who seemed to slowly return to his normal self. Yet, Juho still caught glimpses of the boy looking around afraid whenever he walked, or how he tried to blend himself into the background, as if to hide from something, but what?'

'But of course Juho found out why, even if he didn't want to.'

'Spring was the most beautiful time in the University. The extensive garden that surrounded and weaved through the University became an explosion of colour. Flowers with large purple petals and shrubs with dainty white bulbs and all that was in between, painted the landscape. Juho sat in the library by himself, putting some finishing touches on his portfolio. He looked out the window and admired the beautiful flora that was beginning to blossom. It was already lunch but the deadline for his unfinished portfolio was in less than an hour. Oh, how he regretted leaving all his work until the last minute; one mistake with horrible consequences. With his last failed attempt to make his portfolio more appealing, he mentally celebrated his ability to cram all his work in one day.'

'With barely a minute to spare, Juho handed his portfolio to his professor. The professor jokingly shook his head, saying there was a severe penalty for tardiness and gestured to a basket where only two other portfolios lay.'

'It was already halfway through lunch when Juho began walking to the oak tree. Looking around, he realised that there weren't a lot of students in the courtyard. The occasional student would be sitting silently by themselves on a bench far from the oak tree or another would be scampering away from the courtyard altogether. As he approached the oak tree he found a shady figure standing there, with one arm pushing against the tree and one arm raised in a fist. Without even thinking, Juho raced across the courtyard and flung himself at the enormous boy. The boy landed winded on the ground, gasping for air, but as soon as he recovered his hand lunged for Juho's throat. However, Juho saw this coming and deflected the blow and pinned the larger boy's arm to the ground. With a burning anger raging inside him, Juho leaned in toward the boy's panting face and whispered something only audible to him. With a final shove, Juho let go of the boy who wiped his mouth and trudged away. Juho immediately went to the aid of the boy who sat deflated and beaten against the oak tree. Tears streamed down his face but he was smiling, all Yoon managed to choke out was a "thank you" before Juho held him.'

'With his arm around Juho's neck, Yoon limped along trying to ignore the stares from the other students. Juho insisted that Yoon should stay with him tonight, to let him take care of his injuries and after a small debate, he finally agreed.'

'At Juho's apartment, which was a roomy one-bedroom apartment overlooking the busy market lane, Yoon lay in bed, softly breathing. Juho sat at the foot of the bed and watched the boy sleep; there was a minor bruise on his left jaw but apart from that there were no other visible injuries. Juho knew the damage inflicted was more than what appeared on the exterior. He made his way into the joint kitchen and dining room. He lay down on the couch with his arm over his eyes, letting sleep slowly set in.'

'Juho woke up to the chirping of birds and the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and found a pillow beneath his head and a blanket draped across his body. With a stretch, Juho got up from the couch and made his way to the dining table, where breakfast was already waiting. He started to scoff down the food when from behind the kitchen bench a small figure appeared with flour on his face and hair sticking out in every direction.'

'At the sight of the boy, Juho quickly got out of his chair, accidentally knocking over his cup of coffee. But, before he knew it, a small and graceful hand was already cleaning the mess. Yoon set down the cloth and gingerly turned towards Juho, he suddenly reached out and embraced Juho, his cries being muffed by the other's t-shirt. The pair stood like this for a while, with only the sound of the birds chirping in the background. Juho led Yoon to the couch and unlike the last time, Yoon told Juho everything. He explained how Changsu had always terrorized him when they had lived in the same town and attended the same school. After Yoon had left his hometown he thought it was the last of Changsu but he didn't know that years later he would once again have to face his childhood demon. Juho had never felt so much hate towards one person, he knew that if he ever saw Changsu again the anger would lead him do unspeakable things.'

'"I promise you, I promise I won't let him hurt you again, or let anyone hurt you again. I'll protect you, I swear." This was a promise that Juho vowed never to break or he would never forgive himself.'

Yoon smiled, a genuine smile this time and the first one in many days. He began to take off one of the many bracelets he had on; this one was a small silver cross that hung from an adjustable black leather strap. He gently lifted Juho's hand up, opening it palm facing up and placed the bracelet in the other's hand.

"Then from this day, you are my one guardian angel."

'The end of the boy's university days was closer than they liked. Yoon and Juho had been friends for nearly four years and with each passing day, the pair did nothing but grow closer with one another. It wasn't strange to find Juho with his arm around Yoon or Yoon's arm around Juho's waist. They found comfort in one another and their different personalities were the glue to their friendship; what one lacked the other made up for. Often they would stay for days at each other's apartments, cooking for one another and falling asleep in the comfort of the other's arms. It had been a long time since Yoon had felt so safe and protected. During the day, Juho's presence was a blanket of security and at night, Yoon lay against the warm and sculpted body of Juho, listening to his heart and knowing nothing could hurt him.'

'For Juho, the innocent boy by his side was the only person he felt relaxed with. When Yoon's small and slender hands held his own calloused ones, he swore there was no better feeling in the world. Juho knows that nothing in the world could compare to the flawless skin or the small pink lips of Yoon's. He couldn't nor didn't want to deny what this was; he had found the other half to his whole.'

'Yoon's birthday was a week before the end of University and it would be the last birthday he celebrated before everything changed. Juho waited at the familiar oak tree with a tiny bound book in his hand, waiting for his companion to arrive. He felt a small hand on his back and turned to see the face he so adored. When Yoon sat down, Juho casually placed his arm around the birthday boy and handed him the bound book.'

'"What's this?" Yoon carefully held the book, examining the title; A Vision, but after skimming through the first page he immediately knew what it was.'

'"I knew I told you it would take a while but here it is." Juho gently kissed Yoon's forehead who was already reading the book. It may have taken years but the first story the pair had shared was now complete, to last forever.'

'After reading half of the book, Yoon told Juho that he had to quickly return home to call his parents who had rung him earlier. Clumsy as he was, Yoon dropped the book without realising and began his walk home. Juho spotted the book and chuckled to himself, typical Yoon forgetting what was most important. He searched for the boy but instead his eyes found a looming figure jogging in the same direction. No, no, no, it couldn't be. Book in hand, Juho jumped up and ran after the two people.'

'In a sheltered alleyway, Changsu towered over Yoon, making him feel even more scared. Yoon had been walking back to his apartment when Changsu had suddenly pulled him from behind, cornering him into the alley. The sun had almost set and shadows were cast everywhere, concealing the two of them.'

'"What do you want Changsu?" It was barely a whisper and laced with fear.'

'"What I want is simple. Our teachers, our neighbours even my own parents thought you were the greatest child ever. Yoon, the sweet little boy. Yoon, the smart and sensitive boy. Yoon, the perfect boy. You're far from perfect, your family is messed up and your parents aren't even your parents. I heard your real birth mother was a whore and your dad an addict. Your sister's will do anything for a high. And you, you're a pathetic piece of shit. Being compared to you is shameful. You shouldn't deserve to be alive."'

"Changsu spat in Yoon's face, anger fuming from every pore. His words dripped with hatred and disgust. He pushed the smaller boy to the ground and straddled him, pushing his back into the cold hard ground. The sound of Changsu's fist smashing into Yoon's jaw sounded like sticks being snapped. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth but before Yoon could recover, Changsu continued to pound his face and body. Soon his left eye had swollen shut, tears mixing with the blood from his wounds. But Yoon had lost the energy to scream.'

'As Changsu yanked Yoon upwards by his collar, choking the boy, a hand grabbed the boy from behind and threw him off the smaller boy. As Yoon watched in his barely conscious state, he saw a blur of movement; punches being thrown, one boy falling to his knees and muffled words. The towering body of Changsu limped away and Yoon saw a new face. Before blacking out, Yoon's saviour gently lifted him into his arms, wiping the bloody tears off his face. Yoon couldn't hear what the boy was saying but the worried look on his face and the urgency was unmistakable. His guardian angel had saved him again.'

'A week after the accident, Yoon still had dark purple bruises all over his face; make-up could only do so much. His jaw hadn't been broken but the doctor had informed him to avoid strenuous jaw movement. He still had trouble seeing out of his swollen left eye but he had Juho by his side to take care of him. It was Juho that tended to every cut and bruise and it was Juho who slept holding the delicate hand of Yoon. He was the one who made horrible chicken soup but he was also the one hurting the most. Juho explained how Yoon had dropped his present and he went to return it, but luckily he found Yoon in the alley before Changsu had done some serious damage. Each bruise and cut on Yoon's face made Juho's heart ache, didn't he vow to take care of him, to not let anyone hurt him? He wished he had gotten to the alley sooner but Yoon just told him he was glad he came at all.'

'A month after graduating, Juho had applied to become a dance teacher at a local studio and with his help Yoon had finally begun his singing career. Changsu had left Seoul and moved to America where he had taken a job. As many times as Yoon begged, Juho never told him what he told Changsu that made the boy leave. If there was a time to celebrate, this was it, and celebrate the pair did.'

'Juho parked outside Yoon's apartment and killed the engine. The rain outside was beginning to fall harder creating puddles and soaking the pathways. Juho got out of the car and ran toward the metal gates he had passed a thousand times. He rang the bell for room 206 and waited for the sweet voice on the other end to answer.'

'Juho wiped the rain off his face and huddled under the small shelter at the gate. The lone bulb hanging from the roof showed his breath as small puffs of smoke, expanding into a cloud before dispersing. He saw Yoon jogging down the stairs, holding an umbrella and wearing a large brown coat. Juho took the umbrella from Yoon's hands and opened it, shielding both of them from the pelting rain. Together they jogged to the car, not wanting anything more than to escape the weather.'

'Yoon put on his seatbelt and stared out the window, pouting. He told Juho how the rain made him feel gloomy but also made him feel happy at the same time. The rain made everything dull and depressing, but soon after, flowers would bloom and everything else would seem new; the rain washing away the signs of yesterday's struggle. Tonight the pair were going to their favourite restaurant; the first restaurant they had ever gone to together.'

'The rain showered down and even with the wind screen wipers on, visibility was low. Also at a low point was Juho's mood and patience. All the cars had their headlights on but the light barely penetrated a few metres ahead. Juho had made a booking for 7pm and the person had made it very clear that even a minute late and they would lose their reservation. The clock on Juho's dash showed a digital green time-6:53. They were still about 10 minutes away from the restaurant and in this weather, it would be another 20 minutes.'

'Yoon could see Juho growing impatient and so he tried to lighten his mood with a joke. Yoon could only remember one joke and so he tried his hand at it. What did the lawyer name his daughter? Juho turned to Yoon and smiled. He was grateful that the boy was trying to cheer him up and take his mind off the disastrous traffic situation. Yoon continued with his joke and both of them laughed at the punchline; he named his daughter Sue. Juho stopped laughing when he came to an orange light, with the glow of 6:56 illuminating the car. At the last minute, Juho decided to speed up, making sure there was no incoming traffic. Before they made it to the end of the intersection, Yoon said something to Juho who turned to face the boy, but he didn't hear anything because through Yoon's passenger window, he saw a pair of headlights. Juho vigorously stomped down on the accelerator but the wheels of the car had lost their grip on the wet roads. The incoming headlights grew closer and closer, and as if in slow motion, Juho felt himself lose control of the car, felt the impact of the other vehicle and watched his passenger turn around and push him away. All of this happened in a split second before Juho was plunged into complete darkness.'

'Rain plummeted down, traffic came to a stop and people ran out of their cars. The sound of ambulances and fire-trucks became more distinct and they arrived at an intersection where they found a crumpled black heap which was once a car. After what seemed like an eternity, six firemen had finally managed to pull an unconscious driver out of the tattered heap. As the driver was carried away, he murmured a few words, "help..Yoon…passenger.."'

'Immediately, the remaining firemen and concerned onlookers began to pull away at the twisted metal, fighting the rain off for visibility until they found a tiny body slumped like a rag doll. Pulling him out of the wreck was a struggle but once they did, the passenger's heartbeat was faint, and blood gushed from a wound on his head, trailing down his back forming puddles of rain and blood.'

'Juho felt like he was drowning in an abyss of complete darkness, he couldn't see, feel or hear anything. Where was he? Juho slipped in and out of consciousness, only remembering seeing a few things in the dark abyss he floated in.'

'White lights.'

'White walls.'

'White uniforms.'

'White masks.'

'And darkness.'

'Sunlight crept past the cracks in the curtains and the heart-rate monitor beeped in time with the slow breathing of a young man. Sitting in the chair next to the bed, another young man with a broken arm and stitches on his cheek, softly snored. The man lying on the bed had bandages wrapped around his head accompanied by some minor cuts on his face and a broken wrist. His eyelids fluttered and ever so slowly, he opened his eyes. The man in the chair suddenly woke up, sensing the movement of the other person. He slowly got up, trying to avoid pressure on his injured leg. His heart began to pound and the blood rushed through his body. However, it was soon clear that his worst nightmare had come true.'

'The young man in the bed studied the face of his guess; it was flawless minus the stitches and his eyes were a soft brown. The patient's lips were parched and cracked but he managed to murmur a few words out.'

'"Are you…a doctor?"'

'Juho could feel the life draining out of him, precious Yoon lay before him, without a clue who he was. This was a mistake wasn't it, a cruel joke? As he battled to hold the tears back he sniffed and choked out his words.'

'"No…I'm not a doctor. I'm just a concerned friend."'

'Yoon innocently smiled at the stranger and reached out to take his calloused hand. How soft and perfect Yoon's hand felt in Juho's. The patient thanked the young man and asked for his name."

'"It's Juho."'

'"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Juho."'

'Juho stood up and told Yoon he had to go, but promised to visit him tomorrow. Yoon had already begun to doze off again as Juho quietly left the room and closed the door behind him. It was outside where all his defences broke down, the tears gushed out and despite the pain he fell to his knees and cried. It was the first time in years that he had cried tears of sorrow and guilt. The emotions swallowed him; the sadness, the anger, the remorse. Lying inside the room was the boy that Juho had loved, a boy that would never know how he felt. Juho closed his eyes and the same daunting scene replayed in his mind, the moment Yoon had pushed Juho away, to save him, to protect him. The doctor had told him that if it wasn't for Yoon, Juho would have surely been seriously injured or even killed. He could never forgive himself, he had promised to protect Yoon, not the other way around. He pulled at the cross-bracelet on his wrist and played with it.'

'It was clear that the doctor's prediction had been correct; a head injury this severe would definitely have repercussions. Maybe in time, the memories would resurface, but for now there was only hope."

Yunho ended his story and found Jaejoong silently wiping a few tears away. He leant over and gave him a hug and felt the boy's arms wrap around him.

"So...so Yoon forgot who Juho was? Surely he remembers? It can't end like that!" Yunho comforted the other boy and wiped away stray tears.

The sun outside had begun to set and a nurse had quietly come in to inform Yunho it was the end of visiting hours. Yunho slowly stood up and put his jacket back on, giving Jaejoong one last smile.

"Well, that's the end of my visit today, I'll see you tomorrow then and hopefully, the food gets better."

"I can't wait, I hope there are more stories for me. Good-bye, Yunho."

Before leaving, Yunho's eye caught a glimpse of the book Joong had been reading before; "A Vision."

Outside, a doctor had just finished filling in some charts when he saw Yunho. With a sad smile he greeted the other man and began to talk, and as usual, the conversation led to Jaejoong.

"His condition is improving as we expected and he's responsive to the rehabilitation but the changes are small. His long-term memory has not recovered but his ability to remember things from the short-term is increasing. He now can remember things from days before, which is an amazing step. There is hope, Mr. Jung."

The doctor patted Yunho's back, before being called off by a nurse. As Yunho walked back through the white corridor, the uneasy feeling from before had returned. The guilt and pain would never leave Yunho and he would never forgive himself. He exited the hospital and knew that in a few days' time, he would be back in room 318 telling the same story in hopes that the boy with the earrings and porcelain skin would soon realise that it was not fiction, but actual fact.

End.


End file.
